I typically don't post sporadic thinking seeing as it often takes some time to digest research, data, and insights in an effort to form a strong opinion for or against an idea, but in this instance, I've had to make an exception.  I've had a great experience with a brand that has truly enforced everything I follow, preach, and practice in regards to marketing, social media, and customer service.  Individuals, brands, gurus, and experts could talk all day about what it takes to truly create a successful customer relationship via social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, but in the age of engagement, sometimes it simply takes a small business in the middle of Missouri to create a successful case study.  

I was recently followed on Twitter by a company called Gourmet Goodies out of St. Charles, MO.  I figured they were just another business trying to capitalize by adding anyone and everyone in the St. Louis area.  Then, I saw they were doing something a little different.  They were actually giving something away (for free) to the first few people who re-tweeted their post about cookies.  The post was as follows:

Jokingly, I tweeted the following:

Then, about 3 minutes later, this came through my stream:

At this point I was thinking, alright these guys got me.  Maybe they'll send me a cookie, but it will probably be crumbled, melted, an overall mess, and it probably won't be as "gourmet" as the name implies.  Call me a skeptic, but I blame it on the lack of follow through from traditional companies offering Twitter promotions that offer nothing more than a fake reward as an incentive to get more followers.  Trust me, it happens a lot more than everyday consumers would think.  So to my surprise, two days later I received the following package in the mail: 

So what's my point?  Why am I raving about this random experience with a brand on Twitter?  Because it is the perfect example of customer relations 2.0.  A brand connects online.  A brand extends its conversation through an offline promotion.  The brand spent $5 on me (S&H).  What did they get back?  A new customer.  A customer who will tell his friends.  A customer who will create content about their brand (this blog).  Most importantly, a customer who will invest in them in the future (the cookies were great).  

Let this be a lesson to you.  The cost of a customer relationship is probably a lot smaller than you think.  All it takes is a little give to get a lot back in the age of the Internet.  Are you connected? 

Follow Gourmet Goodies on Twitter @GGCupcake

Follow me @mbuffa